Apparatus for prefocusing lamps



{ oss REFERENCE EXAMINER FIP8212 XR 2,154,500 j C April 18, 1939- o. E. ELMENDORF 2,154,500 I APPARATUS FOR PREFOCUSING LAMPS Filed J une 21, 1937 a Sheets-Sheet 1 r 33 HOTOCELL F121. 56 F r CONTROL ,UNIT

PHOTOCELL s4 47 as 3/ E coIvmaI. 3/ UN/T PIIoTocE L LINE as VACUUM runs AMPLIFIER 4! L E I X VACUUM 4 5 AMPLIF 7 K3 I I 56 33 I it 32 5;

1 4o .53 37 I 34 TLTZIII :I n I 37 3a 39 I [w 4' 1 56 M VACUUM TUBE AMPLIFIER E 6 46 50 LINE Inventor": DUI-yea E. Elmendorf, y IE gfT/ HI Attor ney.

2 5 0 2 0 1 caoss REFEREHCE Ems-mam April 18, 1939. D. E. ELMENDORF 2,154,500

APPARATUS FOR PREFOCUSING LAMPS Filed June 21, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 PHOTO CELL 72 F124.

moroczLL PHOTOCE LL Fig.5.

r aa t nwuunTU! AMPLIFIER.

74 7o .KXIUMTU! F'T AMPLIFIER.

77 I --7e i 64 y L W-1 A as LINE Inventor":

, 2 5 0 2 0 1 CROSS REFERENCE EXAE-EEEER April 1939- D. E. ELMENDORF 2,154,500

APPARATUS FOR PREFOGUSING LAMPS Filed June 21, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 PHOTOC'ELLS AMFI. IFIER AMPLIFIER L/NE Inventor:

Duryea E. Elmendorf,

Patented Apr. is, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFi CE alias nrrana'rus ron rnnrocusma Laura puma n. mmenam; Shaker Heights, ohio. as- Elect-ti signer to General ration of New York Application June 21, 1931, Serial No.

My invention relates to the manufacture of electric incandescent lamps and more particularly to methods and apparatus for automatically adjusting the bulb of a lamp with reference to the base or a portion thereof to accurately locate the filament sealed therein in a predetermined position with respect to said base or portion thereof. Heretofore, the filaments have been adjusted manually with the assistance of optical nate all manual operations in the adjustment of the lamp to reduce the cost and increase the speed and accuracy th 1. ject, I provide means for moving the lamp bulb containing the filament, preferably in each of three directions at right angles to each other. This adjustment may be made by separate electric motors, for instance. The light emitted by the filament is shielded in various ways so as the light and control the adjustment by controlling the operation of the electric motors. I have disclosed herein three species of method and corresponding apparatus for producing the ad-, justment control desired and a single common method and means for adjusting the bulb.

each of the species, similar means are provided correct location.

In-one of the species of my invention one or more transverse screens is located some distance from the lamp-with an edge extending in a direction at right angles to the direction of adjustment of the lamp. The adjustment is con- 9 0om any,-acorpcof the adlustmen' light emitted by the cells located at opposite sides of the screens when the filament is correctly located. If the filament bulb and located in planes at right angles to the directions is out of position, the light photocells which causes the such a direction as between the photocell I Further features tion will appear from scription of species panying drawings.

In the drawings. erspective view of 0 Fig. 2 is a side elevation,

showing a lamp with its means therefor; Fig. 3 is the apparatus shown spective view of the ease species of my invention;

diagram therefor; and

view of the lamp,

proper relation as Fig. '1 is a wiring diagram therefor.

screens,

ocells. In still another species screens extending bethe photocells and filament from pairs of photofalls on one of the bulb to be moved in 1 to cause the shield to come and the filament.

and advantages of my inventhe following detailed dethereof and from the accoml'ig. 1 is a diagrammatic ne species of my invention;

partially in section.

base and supporting a wiring diagram for andFig.5isawiring Fig. 6 is a perspective and photocells in their used in a third species, and

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the apparatus shown therein comprises separate means for supporting and clamping the lamp base it in a fixed position, for supporting the lamp ll andadjustingitwithrespectto controllin the adjustment or the said lamp ii.

the said base ill, and for The lamp Ii is inserted in an inverted position .into the aperture I! in plate i8 and h allowed to fall into the clip ll,

end of the lamp M which holds said lamp ll tbroughthe fiexiblehose li andthe channel ii in shownbypressureon teswingabou thepin tains a rin of semiplasti asshowninFig.2. The

snugly in the said 01111 by suction provided source not shown. In thi:

handle 2i which causes 22. The saidbase llcos c cement it and neckofthelampliwithfl cement 23 in contact therewith and the leading-in wire it extending through a slit in the base shell and wire I! threaded through the base eyelet. In this case, the rim of the base-shell is provided with an outwardly extending flange 24 for purposes of positioning the lamp II in the equipment in which it is used and is inserted in the aperture l2 in the plate |3 so that said flange 24 rests upon the shoulder therein. The rim of the base flange 24 fits snugly in the portion of the aperture |2 in which it is located and is held firmly in place by the arm 23 which moves down into contact with the end of the base I. when released. The arm 20 is supported by the pin 22 which extends through a pair of lugs extending upward from plate i3 and is turned, so as to engage the base ll, by the torsion spring 25. The said Spring 25 has its ends located in apertures in the plate I3, is coiled around the ends of the pin 22 and is looped back of a portion of arm 20 as shown.

After the base l and the lamp I I have been properly inserted, the filament I1 is energized, whereupon the adjusting operation is automatically performed. The filament i1 is connected to a source of current of the correct potential by the pairs oi Jaws 26 and 21 which engage leading-in wires 3 and i8 respectively and which are connected through the flexible leads 28-28 to said source. Each of the pairs of jaws 26 and 21 is mounted on a stationary pin 29 and is closed on the leading-in wires by a spring 30.- The adjustment of the lamp ii is performed by three duplicate adjusting and control means each adapted to move the lamp back and forth in a direction at right angles to the direction of movement of each of the other means. In each case, a transverse screen or shield 3| islocated relatively near the lamp (one inch therefrom, for instance) with one straight edge at right angles to the direction of movement of that particular adjusting means and intersecting the direct path, indicated by the dot-dash line 32, 44 or 41, connecting the desired position of the filament I1 and the respective photocell 33. A second screen or shield 34 is also located between the lamp II and each of the photocells 33 is preferably one inch or more from the first screen 3| and similarly placed at the opposite side of the direct path 32, 44 or 41 therebetween. The screens 3| and 34 prevent the light from the filament H from falling on the photocell 33 when the said filament is to one side of the straight edges thereof and do not interfere with the light when the lamp II is at the other side of said straight edges. For example, referring to the path 41 in Fig. 3, the apparatus is so adlusted as to cause the amount of movement of the lamp II to. the right (at right angles to said path) to be so limited that light from said lamp always falls on a portion of the photocell 33 when the said lamp is to the right of screen 3|. When the light strikes a photocell 33, the lamp ii is moved in a direction which causes the light to be cut oil therefrom, by an electric motor 35, 43 or 46 whose direction of rotation is set by its control unit 36. As shown in Fig. 3, each of the control units 36 comprises a conventional vacuum tube amplifier 31 which is connected to the line conductors 38 and 39 and which amplifies the current changes taking place in the photocell 33 so that they are of sumcient strength to operate the armature 40 of the relay 4|. The motors 35, 43 and 46, as shown, are series wound with separate sets of field wind- UKUSS litiilhiillii:

ings for each direction of rotation which are connected to the contacts engaged by the armature 46 which in turn is connected to the line conductor 36.

As shown in Fig. l, the electric motor 43 is provided to move the lamp vertically so as to cause the light from the filament H to fall along path 44, and motors 35 and 46 are provided to move the lamp II in two directions at right angles to each other in a horizontal plane so as to cause the light to fall along paths 32 and 41 respectively. The cup l4 which holds the lamp II is mounted, by means of the arm 49, on the slide 50 which is moved up and down in its ways in block by the screw 52. The screw 52 in turn is connected through a speed reducer 53 to the motor 43 which is mounted on the block 5|. The block 5| in turn is mounted in the ways of block 54 in which it is moved by motor 46 and the block 54 in turn is mounted in ways of block 55 in which it is moved by motor 35. Each of the motors 43, 35 and 46 operates through a similar screw and speed reducer.

Since a defective lamp Il may be placed in the apparatus which would cause the motors to run continuously in one direction so as to normally cause the light to pass by the screens 3| and 34, a limit switch 56 is provided on each of blocks 5|, 54 and 55 to prevent damage to the device. Each of the limit switches 56 comprises a lever 51 pivoted on the associated block 5|, 54 or 55, and a pair of contacts 55 and 59, one of which is mounted on the lever 51. The other of said contacts is mounted on the same block 5|, 54 or 55 and the lever 51 is moved so that said contacts 58 and 59 are separated by engagement with the particular slide 55 or block 5|, or 54, sliding thereon. The lever 51 is normally held by spring 65 in such a position that the contacts 58 and 59 are touching each other. The contacts 53 and 59 are-connected in the lead 6| to the field windings of the motors 43, 35 and 46 which are connected to the line conductor 38 through the relay 4| when said relay 4| is not energized. with this arrangement, all of the adjusting means are operating at the same time and when the lamp is in the correct position all the relays 4| are moving rapidly from position to position with practically no movement of the lamp The adjustment of the apparatus may be such that a small amount of light falls on the photocells 33 even when the filament I1 is in the correct position. To reduce wear on the adjusting device, the line connection thereto is preferably interrupted while heat is applied to the base ill to harden the cement 23 and fasten the lamp therein in the correct position. If desired, the base holding means and the lamp holding and adjusting means can be built into single heads of a multiple head turret type machine and the optical means and motors may be made to register with the head at one position thereof. In that instance, the lamps may be based much more rapidly than in the device shown since the heating, which'takes the longer time, may then be done at several positions while other lamps are being adjusted. The device may be used very efiiciently where a separate base portion, such as a collar for instance, is fastened in the correct relation to the filament on a base already attached to the lamp. If'desired, one of the screens 3| or 34 may be eliminated, the movement of the lamp in any of its three directions being terminated just as the light is admitted to or obstructed from the photocell by thescreen.

tKFail'iHiiUi The second species of my invention. shown in Figs. 4 and 5, makes use of the same base holding, lamp adjusting and lighting means shown and described in connection with the first species. Inthiscase, the lamp ll isfirstcorrectlylocated with reference to the longitudinal vertical axis of the base l6 and is then located at the correct distance from the base i0. At first the lamp II is moved simultaneously in two directions at right angles to each other in a horizontal plane by the motors 65 and 46 which are connected to the line conductor 66 through the lead 66, and through the double pole limit switches 64 and the twopush-button walking-beam switch 65 to the line conductor 66. This movement is always in one direction in each instance as the mechanism is previously set to one side of the desired position before the device is operated. The spring 66 of each of the limit switches 64 keeps the lever 61 thereof in a position in which the contact thereof is in engagement with the contact connected to the particular field windings of the motors 65 and 46 causing the desired direction of rotation. During the movement, the lamp I reaches a position in which the light from the filament thereof falls along paths 66 and 66 and passes through the apertures or slits in the screens 10--1| and 12-16 to the photocells l4 and 15. The apertures in the screens 10, ll, 12 and 16 are preferably very narrow so that both edges thereof are substantially in paths 66 and 66. If the filament I! has failed to light, the lamp II is carried to the end of the limit of movement which causes blocks 54 and 5| to strike the levers 61 of the limit switches 64 and move them so that the circuit to the motors 65 and 46 is broken and the warning light 16 is lighted. Each of the limit switches 64 comprises a lever 61 having a single contact which is in'engagement with either of two stationary contacts which are connected to the motor field windings or to one lead of the warning light 16. All three contacts of each limitswitch 64 are insulated from their supporting means. Single screens may be used instead of the pair shown in this case which have vertical slits .003 of an inch wide and are spaced one inch from the lamp H and the photocells 14 and 15 respectively and six inches from each other. The light received by the photocells 14 and 15 causes the adjusting motion to stop since the photocells I4 and I actuate, through the conventional vacuum tube amplifiers 11, the relays l6 and I6 which connect a second field winding of the motors 65 and 46, tending to turn the motor armature in the opposite direction, to the line conductor 66. The

- two field windings of the motors 65 and 46 enable them tobe stopped quickly and prevent the momentum thereof from turning the motor and mechanism connected thereto farther and thereby moving the lamp out of position. The limit switches 60 connected in the leads to the second field windings of the motors 65 and 46 remain closed during the whole of the adjusting operation and are used only to prevent over-movement when the said motors are returned to their former positions, as later described.

Adjacent of the lamp axially, or vertically in this case, to fix the light center length takes place only after both relays l6 and 16 are closed.

As shown, relay I6 is provided with a second armature 6| which is connected to the line conductor 66 and which swings so as to engage a contact connected to a second armature 62 of the relay 16 when said relay I6 is operated. The

65 second armature 62 serves to close the circuit through a contact engaged by it and another double throw limit switch 64 to the field windings of the motor 46, causing the lamp II to be moved down. Because of the series arrangement of the armatures 6| and 62, the vertical adjustment can only take place after the other two adjustments.

The downward movement of the lamp continues until the light from the filament l'l thereof falls along the line 66 and passes through the apertures in screens 64 and 65 and strikes the photocell 66. The photocell 66 actuates the relay 66 and the limit switch 66 as in the previous instances, through a conventional vacuum tube amplifier 61. The screens 64 and 65 are preferably placed in the same relation to the lamp H as in the other instances but each has only a round hole therein, of .003 inch diameter, for instance.

The base I0 is then fastened to the lamp II and the various parts of the apparatus are returned to their former positions before another lamp H is placed therein. The said parts of the apparatus are returned by changing the posiion of the walking-beam switch 65 which breaks the connection to the first-mentioned field winding of the motors 46, 65 and 46 and connects each of the other field windings of the said motors to the line conductor 66, causing them all to turn in one direction to carry the adjusting means to its limit of movement. The movement stops when the levers of the limit switches 60 are engaged by the slide 50 and blocks 5| and 54 respectively and the circuit to the motor field winding is interrupted thereby. The walking-beam switch 65 is returned to its former position before another lamp II is adjusted.

The third species of my invention, shown in Figs. 6 and '7, makes use of the base holding, lamp lighting and adjusting means shown in the first embodiment. In this case, three screens 60, 6| and 62 are used and each is mounted in abutting relation to the lamp I and shields the light from the filament from the photocells 63 and 64 when said filament I1 is in the correct position.

The screens 60, 6| and 62 extend from the lamp II in planes perpendicular to the directions of adjustment, screens 60 and 6| be ng in vertical planes and screen 62 in a horizontal plane. Each of the photocells 66 and 64 is connected to a conventional vacuum tube amplifier 65 which increases the current change taking place within the photocell when it receives light from the filament so that the relay 66, which is connected thereto, is energized and connects one of the field windings of the motors 43, 65 and 45 to the line conductor 66. The connections are such that the photocell 66 or 64 struck by the light from the filament causes the motor 46, 65 or 46 to move the lamp toward the screen 60, 6| or 62 and the other photocell 66 or 64. The edges of the screens 60, 6| and 62 abutting the lamp bulb are in substantially the direct path between the correct position of the filament I1 and each of the photocells 66-and 64. A limit switch 61 is connected in each lead to the field windings of the motors 46, 65 and 46 in order to cause the circuit therethrough to be broken in case the adjusting parts reach the limit of motion due to a defective lamp II. In the wiring diagram shown in Fig. '7, the end of the screen 62 is shown turned 90 from its actual position in order to show both photocells 66 and 64.

What I claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for accurately locating a filament sealed in the bulb of an incandescent lamp with respect to a portion of a base, comprising a holder for said base portion, means for supporting said bulb adjacent to said base portion, a plurality of light-sensitive cells disposed in pre-. determined spaced relationship to said holder, a plurality of screen means disposed adjacent to the paths between said light-sensitive cells and a predetermined point at which said filament is to be located, means for energizing said filament to cause it to emit light, means for shifting the position of said bulb with respect to said base portion, said screens serving to control the passage of light to said cells, and means for discontinuing said shifting motion when the said filament is located at said predetermined point, said last-named means being controlled by said lightsensitive cells. J

'2.- Apparatus for accurately locating a filament sealed within the bulb of an incandescent lamp with respect to a portion of a base comprising a holder for said base portion, means for supporting said bulb adjacent to said base portion, a plurality of photocells, one located to one side of all axis through the desired position of the filament and a pair located in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis and in directions therefrom at right angles to each other, means for connecting the filament to a source of current to cause it to emit light, screen means located between the said holder and photocells for changing the amount of the light falling on said cells when the filament is out of position, means for automatically moving the said lamp bulb parallel to said axis and in directions at right angles to each other in said plane to cause the said screen means to efiect the light change, and means controlled by saidphotocells for discontinuing the movement in each of said directions when said light change occurs and the filament is correctly located.

3. Apparatus for accurately locating a filament sealed within the bulb of an incandescent lamp with respect to' a portion of a base comprising a holder for said base portion, means for supporting said bulb with the filament therein at approximately the desired position with reference to said holder and base portion, a plurality of photocells, one located to one side of an axis through the desired position of the filament and a pair located in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis and inidirections therefrom at right angles to each other, means for connecting the filament to a source of current to cause it to emit light, screens located between said holder and the photocells with an edge thereof,

extending substantially through the direct path between said cells and the desired location of the filament, means for automatically moving the said bulb parallel to said axis and also in two directions in said plane at right angles to the said paths between said cells and the desired location of the filament to cause the edges 'of the screens to effect a change in theamount of light falling on said cells and means controlled by said cells for-discontinuing the movement in each of said directions when said light change occurs and I the filament iscorrectly located.

4. Apparatus for accurately locating a filament sealed within the bulb of an incandescent lamp with respect to a portion of .a'base comprising a holder for said base portion, means for support- .ing said bulb with the filament therein at ap-' proximately the desired position with reference to the said holder and base portion, a plurality of photocells, one located to one side of an axis through the desired position of the filament and a pair located in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis and in directions therefrom at right angles to each other, means for connecting said filament to a source of current to cause it to emit light, screens located between said holder and the photocells with one edge extending through the direct path between said cells and the desired location of the filament, means for automatically moving said bulb back and forth in directions at right angles to the path between said cells and the holder and at right angles to the said edges of the screens to efiect a change in the amount of light falling on said cells, and means controlled by said cells for discontinuing the movement in each of said directions when said light change occurs and the filament is correctly located.

5. Apparatus for accurately locating a filament sealed within the bulb of an incandescent lamp with respect to a portion of a lamp base comprising a holder for said base portion, means for supporting said bulb with the filament therein at approximately the desired position with reference to said holder and base portion, a plurality of photocells, one located to one side of an axis through the desired position of said filament and a pair located in a plane substantially perpendicular to said axis and in directions therefrom-at right angles to each other, means for connecting the filament to a source of current to cause it to emit light, screens located between said holder and the photocells with apertures therein in the direct path between said cells and the desired position of the filament, means for automatically moving said bulb parallel to said axis and in two directions at right angles to each other in said plane to cause the light passing through the apertures in said screens to shift toward and finally fall on the said cells, and means controlled by said cells for discontinuing the movement in each of said directions when' said cells receive said light and the filament is correctly located.

6. Apparatus for accurately locating a filament sealed within the bulb of an incandescent lamp with respect to a portion of a base comprising a holder for said base portion, means for supporting said bulb with the filament therein at approximately the desired position. with reference to said holder and base portion, light-sensitive means located to one side of an axis through the desired position of the filament and other lightsensitive means located in a plane perpendicular to said axis and in directions therefrom at right angles to each other, means for connecting said filament to a source of current to cause it to emit light, screens located between said holder and each of said light-sensitive means adapted to shield the light emitted by said filament from said light-sensitive means when said filament is in the desired position, means for automatically moving said bulb parallel to said axis and in two directions at right angles to each other'in said plane when the filament is incorrectly positioned and the screens do not shield the light from said light-sensitive means, and means controlled by said light-sensitive means for discontinuing the movement when the light is shielded therefrom and the filament is correctly located. a

7. Apparatus for accurately locating a filamen sealed within the bulb of an incandenscent lamp 1 with respect to a portion of a base comprising a holder for said base portion, means for supporting -the filament, a third screen located in a plane at right angles to said axis, pairs of photocells located on opposite sides of each of said screens and shielded thereby from the light from the filament when said filament is at the desired position, means for moving the said lamp bulb in directions at right angles to each of said screens when the filament is incorrectly positioned and some of the photocells are receiving light therefrom, and means controlled by said cells for discontinuing the movement when the light is shielded therefrom and the filament is correctly located.

8. Apparatus for accurately locating a filament sealed within the bulb of an incandescent lamp with respect to a portion of a base comprising a holder for said base portion, means for supporting said bulb with the filament therein at approximately the desired position with reference to said holder and base portion, a plurality of photccells, one located to one side of an axis through the desired position of the filament and a pair located in a plane substantially perpendicularto said axis and in directions therefrom at right angles to each other, means for connect- 7 ing the filament to a source of current to cause it to emit light, screens located between said holder and the photocells with apertures therein in the direct paths between said photocells and the desired position of,the filament, means for automatically moving the said bulb parallel to said axis and in two directions in said plane at right angles to the said paths between said pair of cells and the desired location of said filament, means for causing operation of said means for moving the bulb in the said plane, relays operated by the said pair of photocells for discontinuing said movement when the light from the filament passing through the apertures of a pair of screens fails on said photocells' and thereafter causes operation of the said means for moving the lamp bulb axially, and a relay operated by the first-mentioned photocell for discontinuing operation of the said means causing the axial movementwhen the light from the filament passing through the aperture in the third screen falls on the photocell and said filament is correctly 5 located.

DURYEA I. KLMENDORF. 

